Homes Sell Quickly Even As Inventory Improves

New data from the National Association of Realtors shows the typical for-sale property was on the market for just 26 days in April. And, though sales were down during the month, the speed with which homes are selling is evidence that buyers are interested and active in the market. Lawrence Yun, NAR's chief economist, says homes are selling at a record pace. “What is available for sale is going under contract at a rapid pace,” Yun said. “Since NAR began tracking this data in May 2011, the median days a listing was on the market was at an all-time low in April, and the share of homes sold in less than a month was at an all-time high.” In fact, 57 percent of homes were sold in less than 30 days in April. Among the reasons homes are selling so quickly this spring is a lower-than-normal number of homes available for sale. Since buyer demand is high and the number of homes available to buy is low, homes are being sold very quickly. However, April's numbers also show inventory was up 9.8 percent from the month before, which is an encouraging sign for hopeful home buyers. More here.